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Chapter 24

Penulis: Gem
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-28 18:12:05

Cameron’s POV

The door to the fitting room clicked shut, sealing me in a too-small box with my own reflection. My pulse still hammered, my throat tight like I’d swallowed barbed wire.

I pressed my hands to the cold mirror, fingers splayed, and dropped my head, my forehead resting against the glass. My skin burned where my stepmother’s words had cut into me.

"Your mother would’ve hated seeing you like this."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my chest aching like someone had cracked it open and reached inside.

The worst part?

She was probably right.

My mom had been soft and gentle and kind — everything I wasn’t. She would've hated the version of me that existed now. The angry, hollow, jagged thing barely holding itself together.

I sucked in a shaky breath, but it got stuck halfway, splintering into something sharp.

Behind me, the door creaked open, and Brandon slid inside like he belonged there, kicking it shut with his foot.

“Dude, you’ve been in here for, like, twenty seconds and you're alread
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    Brandon POvI woke up with a sharp sting in my wrists and a pounding headache that felt like someone was hammering inside my skull. My arms were tied behind me, the ropes biting into my skin, and the cold floor pressed against my back. I blinked against the dim light, taking in the room—dilapidated, empty, paint peeling off the walls, and the smell of damp concrete thick in the air.Masked figures stood around me, watching silently. I had been here before—more than once—and I knew the drill. This was a warning. This was intimidation. And they were good at it.I tried to move, but the ropes dug into my wrists. My jaw clenched. “You really think this will break me?” I hissed, voice hoarse.One of them stepped closer, knife glinting in the weak light. “Call your men,” he said, voice muffled behind the mask. “Tell them you’re withdrawing from the bidding. Or…” He pressed the blade lightly against my neck, a subtle but clear threat.I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. The bidding. My mi

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